Monthly Archives: March 2016

Contractors will perform maintenance work on the solar panels in Parking Lots 1, 2 and 5 on the Mays Landing Campus, March 24-April 2. Work will be confined to two rows each day, and parking will be restricted. Please plan accordingly.

Atlantic Cape Community College’s Board of Trustees adopted a $40,600,000 FY’17 revenue budget and voted to increase tuition and some fees to support the fiscal plan when the group met at the Charles D. Worthington Atlantic City Campus March 22.

The FY’17 budget, a decrease of nearly $500,000 over the previous year’s budget, includes $8,430,448 in county appropriations contingent upon approval by the Atlantic Cape Community College Board of School Estimate, a group composed of college and Atlantic and Cape May County officials. The state will contribute a projected $5.58 million in operating aid. Support from the counties for the college’s fiscal year and projected state operating aid increased by .28 percent and .54 percent respectively.

General tuition will rise to $120 a credit from $116, a 3.45 percent increase. The new tuition and fee schedule begins with the 2016 summer session. A student taking 24 general credits a year–Atlantic Cape’s typical student–will see a $112.80 a year increase in tuition and general fees for a total of $3,525.60, up from $3,412.80 in FY’16. The college has also implemented a $20 Campus Safety Fee per semester.

The budget approved is down 1.2 percent from last year’s fiscal plan and includes a $1.125 million fund balance transfer. It projects a 23 percent increase in nursing credits and a 5 percent decline in credit enrollments due to changing demographics in the college’s service district.

Board Approves Contract to Build Student Success Center

The board awarded a $13.2 million contract to Arthur J. Ogren, Inc., of Vineland to build the Student Success and Career Planning Center. The project includes construction of a 20,000-square-foot building on the Mays Landing Campus, reconfiguration of the former Student Life Center to house the Testing Center, relocation of the President’s office, and renovations to the cafeteria and dance studio.

The two-story facility will house a student center on the first floor and the Student Success and Career Planning Center on the second floor. The Student Success Center will offer guidance and resources to assist students in making informed decisions about career choices, including career counseling and access to computers for job searches.

The building was designed by Spiezle Architectural Group of Trenton and is funded through GO Bonds and Chapter 12 funds. The contractor will break ground this spring and the estimated completion is fall 2017.

“This project is moving forward with a very strong commitment from Atlantic County. The board and staff should take pride in the amount that has been accomplished in the past years,” said Trustee Helen Walsh.

In Personnel Activity, the Board:

–Accepted the retirement of Patricia Gandy of Mays Landing, effective March 16. Gandy served the college for more than 17 years, most recently as office coordinator for Cape May County Campus Support Services. She was dedicated to college events, serving as a Heart Walk Captain and participating in Holocaust Awareness programs, Black History Month events and the Vision for Excellence event. Former supervisor Paula Davis, stated, “Patricia has proven to be an asset to the area. She is a true team player. She has the ability to interact with difficult individuals in a calm manner and follows through with problems.”

–Approved a revised list of renovations and updates for funding from the Chapter 12 FY’16 allocation at a sum not to exceed $3 million.

–Approved entering into a five-year rental agreement of the East Campus with Gateway Community Action/Head Start for use as a child care center, beginning March 23. Gateway currently operates a child care center on the Mays Landing Campus.

–Approved converting the Studio Arts Option in Liberal Arts to a full Associate in Arts degree effective fall 2017.

–Approved offering the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Specialist Professional Series, effective fall 2016. The program will provide students the skills and knowledge needed to safely operate and collect imagery and data using a small multi-rotor unmanned aircraft system. The need for the program is driven by the integration of UAS into the national airspace system, which impacts law enforcement, emergency management, environmental protection and management, and geospatial data collection.

The next meeting of the Board of Trustees will be held at 7 p.m., Tuesday, April 26, at the Mays Landing Campus. All are welcome to attend.

Students at Worthington Atlantic City Campus Prepare Easter Baskets for Donation

Cross-Cultural Club students in Atlantic City with their completed baskets for donation.

On March 22, more than 20 members of the Cross-Cultural Club prepared a donation of 40 Easter baskets for the children of homeless families. The baskets were delivered the same day to the Atlantic City Rescue Mission, who will give the baskets to the children. The baskets, candies, coloring books and small toys were bought by the club, and members worked assembly-line fashion to complete the charitable project.

New computer viruses, malware and ransomware are being created by malicious individuals every day. Unfortunately, nothing can protect you 100 percent of the time. Protection software is constantly struggling to keep up with different variations as well as new viruses, malware and ransomware. Please be diligent when surfing the web or opening emails, especially when an email asks to click on a link or has an attachment. If you are not expecting an attachment from someone, please call to confirm or send an email requesting further information. Do not reply to the email, instead open a new window and compose a new message to the sender.

Careme’s Restaurant at Atlantic Cape Community College’s Academy of Culinary Arts is the venue of choice for vegan fine dining in South Jersey.

Careme’s will open its doors to the public to celebrate the change of season during a Spring Celebration Dinner, hosted by the American Vegan Society, 6:30 p.m., Monday, March 28, and Tuesday, March 29. Continue reading →